Exploits of the Knights in Africa—Taking of Tunis—The great
carrack—Expedition against Algiers—Tempest off the coast of
Barbary—Taking of Mehdijé—Admirable charity of the Knights—Dragut
attacks Malta; failure of the expedition—Fall of Tripoli—Election
of John de la Valette—Solyman prepares for the siege of
Malta—Description of the city and its defences—Character of La
Valette, and his address to his troops.
It was but natural that the gratitude of the order towards the
emperor, to whom it owed its present independence, should be eagerly
manifested on the occasion of his enterprise against Barbary; and
accordingly, during the twenty years that succeeded the death
of L’Isle Adam, we find the Knights of Malta foremost in every
engagement with the corsairs of Algiers and Tunis, and earning a
reputation on the coasts of Africa not unworthy of their ancient
fame. The northern provinces of Africa had gradually fallen into
the power of the Moorish pirates, under their celebrated chief
Barbarossa;[38] and their constant descents from thence on the coasts
of Spain and Italy rendered a declaration of war from the emperor not
merely just but actually necessary.
The sieges of Goletta and Tunis opened the campaign; and at both
places the valour of the knights contributed in no small degree to
the success of the Christian arms. At Tunis the scarlet banner of
St. John was seen first in the assault, first also to be planted on
the bastion, surrounded by its knights, whose white crosses rendered
them conspicuous to the whole army. Their soldierly appearance, when
they presented themselves before the emperor, drew an expression of
admiration from his lips: “These are your brethren,” he said, turning
to the Prince of Portugal, a member of the order; “had we more of
them, we might be sure of victory.” And, indeed, the victory, so
far as Tunis was concerned, might certainly be attributed to them;
if, as we are told, the flight of Barbarossa was occasioned by an
incident within the fortress, thus related by Vertot. There was
among the slaves confined at Tunis a certain Knight of St. John,
by name Paul Simconi, the same who, when only eighteen years of
age, defended the Isle of Lero against the infidels with surpassing
courage. On the approach of the imperial army, Simconi determined on
a bold stroke for liberty. Gaining over his jailers, he contrived
to break his own chains and those of his fellow-prisoners, and,
proceeding to the armory of the castle, they all armed themselves
with whatever came first to hand, and falling on the Turkish garrison
cut them to pieces, and made themselves masters of the fortress.
Barbarossa, hearing the tumult, hastened to the castle gates, but was
received with a fire of musketry; and discovering what had happened,
exclaimed, “All is lost now these dogs are masters of the place!”
and immediately took to flight. When Charles entered the city,[39]
therefore, he was met by Simconi, accompanied by 6000 Christians, all
of whom he had contrived to deliver from their chains; and as he
embraced the gallant hospitaller he exclaimed, “Brave knight, blessed
for ever be your generous valour, which has assisted my conquests,
and added to the glory of your order!”
In these battles on the coast of Barbary, the grand carrack of the
order held a distinguished place. So very wonderful a production of
naval skill cannot be passed without a word of notice, and may be
given as a piece of the romance of ship-building. It was not the
same which had been brought from Rhodes, but a new one built at Nice
after the accidental burning of its predecessor. It had two things
in particular to be admired: first, that it was built with such
precautions against infection in time of pestilence, that even while
the plague raged at Nice, and the air was so pestilential that the
birds dropped dead as they flew over the city, there was not a sick
man known on board; next, the construction of this extraordinary
vessel was such that nothing could sink it. It was sheathed in metal,
and perfectly cannon-proof; but in spite of its size and weight,
swift as a felucca. Its dimensions are not given; we only know that
it could take in provisions of water and stores for a six-months’
voyage; that its oven baked two thousand loaves at a time; that it
had eight decks, an armory for five hundred men, magnificent suites
of rooms, and delicious artificial gardens, where large pots of
orange, lemon, and cypress trees created a cool and fragrant shade.
After this, it must be allowed that England must silence her boasts
about “the Royal Harry.”
In fact, the naval skill and power of the order was fast on the
increase: their reputation for boldness in navigation we may gather
from the words of Charles the Fifth during a storm off the Gulf
of Spezia, where he narrowly escaped shipwreck. Through the murky
atmosphere some galleys were observed riding out the hurricane, and
even attempting to continue their voyage in despite of the elements.
“Whose are those vessels?” asked Doria in surprise; “are they madmen,
who keep at sea in such weather?” “No,” replied the emperor, who
overheard him; “they are only Hospitallers:—no galleys but theirs can
brave a storm like this.”
In the end Barbarossa fled to Constantinople to implore the succour
of Solyman; and the knights, in hourly expectation of a visit _en
passant_ from their old enemies, applied themselves to prepare
for their reception. As to Tripoli, it was equally incapable of
defence or fortification, yet still Charles turned a deaf ear to all
representations addressed to him on the subject; it was to be held
anyhow, and by the knights alone. And held it was for one-and-twenty
years; during which time, in spite of its ruinous condition, the
knights not only stoutly defended “the ill-conditioned place,” as
it is termed by Boisgelin, but made from thence such continual
aggressions on the infidels, that Tripoli and its garrison became the
terror of all the corsairs of Barbary, and more than once they were
driven disgracefully from its shattered walls.
During the expedition against Algiers (1541), the knights showed
their usual valour. So many offered themselves as volunteers, that,
had all been accepted, Malta would have been left without defenders;
so that Homedez, the grand master at that time, was obliged to limit
their numbers to four hundred. At Majorca they joined the emperor,
who insisted on immediately setting out for Barbary in spite of the
stormy season, for it was towards the end of September. Andrew Doria,
the veteran commander of the fleet, ventured on a remonstrance.
“My liege,” he said, “be persuaded to abandon this enterprise, for
_pardieu!_ if we go, we shall all perish.” “And are not twenty-two
years of empire enough for me, and seventy-two years of life for
you?” replied Charles. “By St. James! if we do perish, we may both
die content.” Spite of the prognostics of shipwreck, the army
disembarked safely before Algiers. It consisted of twenty thousand
foot and six thousand horse, Germans, Italians, and Spaniards—each
nation forming a separate body. The knights held a conspicuous place
and fought dismounted: “their surcoats of crimson velvet (says the
author of a narrative sent to the Pope), over which glittered their
white crosses, making them an object of remark; while they bore
themselves with a proud and martial air which struck terror among the
barbarians who approached them.” A severe storm of hail, accompanied
with piercing cold, produced such an effect on the imperial troops,
that they were almost unable to resist a night attack directed
against them by the Moorish garrison, and the first conflict was a
severe one.
The gallantry displayed by the Hospitallers on this occasion is
illustrated by many anecdotes. Among others who distinguished
themselves was a young French knight, Nicholas de Villegagnon, who,
being wounded severely by a Moorish horseman, sprang behind his
adversary on the crupper of his steed, and, plunging his dagger into
his heart, spurred the animal through the ranks of the Moors, and so
reached his own line in safety. A rally was made round the banner of
St. John, and the struggle was maintained with spirit, when Ferdinand
Gonzaga, one of the imperial generals, rode up to the spot. “Sir
Hospitaller,” he cried, addressing the grand bailiff of the order,
“it is not enough to beat these dogs,—chase them back to Algiers,
and enter the city with them; your knights are used to take towns
without guns.” His words roused the enthusiastic chivalry of those
to whom they were addressed; and dashing upon the Moors with wild
impetuosity, they drove them before their horses like a flock of
sheep until they reached the city-gates, which the governor closed in
the very face of his own soldiers, lest the Christians should enter
with them. Nevertheless Ponce de Savignac, the standard-bearer of the
order, rode up fearlessly and drove his poniard into the doors, and
galloped away before his audacity was perceived. He fell, however, in
the combat of the ensuing day, directed exclusively on the Maltese
quarter; for, as the knights a second time pursued their enemies to
the gates of Algiers, he was struck by a poisoned arrow. Feeling
himself wounded, he called a soldier to support him. “Help me to
bear up the standard,” he cried; and leaning on the shoulder of his
comrade, he had the courage and resolution to stand there, with the
banner in his grasp, until he fell dead upon the ground.
The losses sustained in these conflicts were by no means the worst
disasters that befell the Christian army. A terrible tempest nearly
destroyed their fleet; and as galley after galley was driven upon the
rocks, the troops were sad spectators of the slaughter of their crews
by the inhuman Arabs. The number of vessels destroyed in this tempest
was something incredible. The crew of one of the Maltese galleys,
_The Bastard_, believing it impossible to save her, endeavoured to
run her on the rocks, that they might abandon her; but Azevedo, the
commander, obstinately refused his consent. In vain they represented
that she was old and unfit for service; and that the lives of the men
were of more value than a few worm-eaten timbers. “I know nothing of
all that,” he replied, “but only that this galley has been intrusted
to my care by the order; and, by the arm of St. John! I will slay the
first man who talks of leaving his post;—you will save her, or die
upon her decks.” And, inspired by his resolution, they did save her,
and brought her safe back to Malta.
The army meanwhile, without tents, provisions, or hospital equipage,
was soon reduced to extremity; and the siege was raised.
The successor of Barbarossa in the chieftainship of the Moorish
corsairs was the celebrated Dragut (or Torghoud). Brought up from
childhood in the service of the Ottomans, he had attained the
highest reputation for skill and ferocity among all the brigands of
the African coast. He had recently possessed himself of the strong
city of Mehdijé,[40] situated between Tunis and Tripoli; and his
neighbourhood to the two towns in possession of the Christians
rendered an attack on this fortress absolutely necessary. The
imperial fleet was led by Doria; and 140 knights, under the bailiff
De la Sangle, joined the expedition with 400 troops (1530). The siege
was long and bloody; but it is scarcely so much to the military
operations before the walls of Mehdijé that we desire to direct
the reader’s attention, as to a far more beautiful and impressive
spectacle which was then displayed. La Sangle may be taken as a fair
and worthy example of the spirit of his institute;—wise in council,
dauntless in battle, but in all characters most religious and
humane. The prolonged siege soon produced the usual sufferings among
the invading army; and pestilence made even greater ravages among
the troops than the arms of the enemy. The brave old Hospitaller,
however, only felt the emergency to be a call upon the best exertions
of himself and his knights. “Our first duty, gentlemen,” he said to
his comrades, “is hospitality, for to that we are bound by our vows;
let, therefore, every Hospitaller give his tent to the hospital
of the order, and serve, as becomes him, in the infirmary.” The
proposal was received with enthusiasm; a kind of canvas hospital
was improvised out of the tents of the knights; all the sick were
received into it, and served tenderly and unweariedly by these brave
and noble men: and never, surely, did their deeds of prowess gain
them half the title to our praise, and to the recompense of eternal
fame, which was earned by their heroic charity in the hospital of
Mehdijé.
Dragut was a formidable adversary, and kept his opponents well
employed; every day witnessed some sortie and bloody conflict, in
which the Christians suffered considerable loss. During the second
assault on the town the knights claimed the post of honour; the great
banner was carried at their head by the commander De Giou, and as
the attack was made on the side of the sea, they advanced to the
assault through the water, which rose as high as their shoulders;
for, impatient at the stoppages of the boats against the sandbanks,
they threw themselves sword in hand into the sea, and thus gained
the foot of the ramparts under the fire of the garrison. In a few
moments the banner of St. John waved from the summit of the walls;
but its brave defender fell dead at the same instant. Copier, another
commander, instantly seized it ere it fell; and through the whole of
the combat that followed, in the very thick of the firing, he stood
calm and unmoved, holding it aloft above his head. The imperial
troops, however, despairing of carrying the place, were about to give
way, when Gimeran, a commander of the order, discovered a narrow
entrance, through which he forced his way at the head of the knights
into the heart of the city. This decided the day, and the place
was immediately taken and sacked: the principal mosque, however,
was blessed and converted into a church; and there the knights and
officers who had fallen in the bloody contest were interred. When
the town was afterwards abandoned, the remains of these heroes were
removed to Sicily, and placed in a magnificent mausoleum in the
Cathedral of Montreal.
Dragut, in despair at the loss of Mehdijé, repaired to the court
of Solyman, and represented that the cause of the Crescent would
be ruined and for ever disgraced if the Knights of St. John were
not speedily exterminated. The sultan, who readily entered into his
views, and was continually irritated by hearing of fresh victories
achieved by an order he had thought to crush for ever, empowered
Dragut to assemble all the corsairs of Africa, in order that, being
united to the Turkish fleet, they might proceed to the work of
“extermination” by carrying fire and sword to Tripoli and Malta, the
two chief nests of the “dogs of giaours.”
At the first rumour of an attack on Malta, the knights hastened
to assemble for its defence, without waiting for a summons. Among
those first to arrive in the island was the commander Nicholas de
Villegagnon—the same whose prowess before Algiers we have already
noticed. He was one of the most popular men of his order; the more
so, perhaps, that Homedez, the grand master at that time, showed
a cold and avaricious disposition which raised him many enemies,
and rendered the display of reckless and romantic chivalry, such
as that of Villegagnon, doubly welcome among the younger knights.
Malta was in a most destitute state; and Homedez, as is said, from
motives of self-interest, resisted all the representations that were
made to him as to the necessity of securing its defences. “It was a
needless expense,” he said; “these rumours of Turkish armaments were
premature and ridiculous; and if you attended to them, you might
attend to nothing else.” Nevertheless, on the morning of the 16th of
July 1551, three days after he had expressed himself to this effect,
he beheld from the windows of his palace the arrival of the whole
Ottoman fleet, sailing before a favourable wind, and about, as it
seemed, to cast anchor before the principal fort of the island. That
of the old city, or borgo, was defended only by a small fort, now
without a garrison; for all the forces on the island had been called
in to guard the fortifications of St. Angelo, then the residence
of the order. The terrified inhabitants of the city hastened to
despatch messengers to Homedez imploring succour: but the grand
master refused; he had need, he said, of all his forces to defend
St Angelo. “At least,” returned the envoy in despair, “let us have
Villegagnon with us”—a singular compliment to the bravery of that
knight; nor did he decline the post, although, as he represented,
the defence of the old city required at least the presence of a
hundred men. “I expect courage and obedience, not reasoning, from a
knight,” replied Homedez. “You can have six companions; if they are
not enough, and you are afraid of the business, some one else may
be found to undertake it.” Villegagnon keenly felt the taunt, and
instantly rose to depart. “I will show you, sir,” he replied, “that
fear, at least, has never made me shrink from danger.” He set out at
once, accompanied by six French knights; finding some horses grazing
outside, they threw themselves on their backs without saddles or
bridles, and reached the town. Gliding unperceived to the bottom of
the walls, they made signals to the inhabitants, who lowered a rope;
and thus all seven with their guide entered the fort under the eye of
the enemy.
Meanwhile the Turkish fleet had been making the circuit of the
island, considering the best point of attack. As they appeared before
the fortified heights of St. Angelo, Sinam, the Ottoman general,
called Dragut to his side. “Is that the castle you have represented
so weak and defenceless?” he exclaimed; “why, no eagle could choose a
better eyrie.” “Truly, signior,” added a veteran corsair, who stood
by his side, “it were hard to steal the eagle’s eggs. Dost thou see
yon rampart, where the scarlet banner floats? When I was a slave in
the giaours’ galleys, some twenty years ago, my shoulders helped to
carry up the stones that built it; and you may take my word for it,
ere you cast it to the ground, summer shall go and winter come, for
its foundation is the rock itself.” “Enough,” replied Sinam, “we land
at the town below; and ere we batter the kennel of these dogs about
their ears, we will teach the islanders how to show hospitality to
the sultan’s troops.” Accordingly the troops landed on the lower part
of the island, and prepared to invest the old city, when a shout
from the walls was heard, accompanied with discharges of musketry
and repeated cries of joy;—it was the welcome which the citizens
were giving to Villegagnon and his comrades. “It is the Spanish
fleet!” exclaimed one; “The galleys from Naples!” cried another; “The
garrison of St. Angelo are coming down!” cried a third: and within
an hour Sinam’s troops had re-embarked. After a descent on Gozo, in
which they succeeded in carrying off six thousand of the inhabitants
into slavery, the fleet directed its course to Tripoli; but it must
be allowed that this was but a pitiful commencement of the war of
“extermination.”
The garrison of Tripoli consisted chiefly of some fresh levies
of Spanish and Calabrian troops; and the mutiny of these men,
unaccustomed to face the enemy, brought about the speedy fall of the
place; for Vallier, the marshal of the order, who held the command,
perceiving the impossibility of resistance, felt himself justified in
agreeing to terms of capitulation; a determination, however, which
disgraced him in the eyes of his order, and on his arrival at Malta
with his knights he was condemned to imprisonment.
It was in the August of 1557 that the death of La Sangle, successor
to Homedez in the grand-mastership, necessitated a new election, and
placed John Parisot de la Valette at the head of an order in whose
history he was destined to play so distinguished a part. Convinced
that another attack on the island was meditated at no distant period,
the first care of La Valette was to put his island in something like
a state of defence; and with the generous purpose of sharing the
dangers of his people, he removed his residence from St. Angelo to
the borgo, from whence he was better able to direct the progress of
the works. The final determination of Solyman to renew his attack
on Malta was occasioned by the loss of a valuable galleon, laden
with goods for the ladies of the seraglio, which was captured by
the knights under the brave Romegas after a sharp engagement of
five hours. This the sultan regarded as a sort of personal insult;
and vowing vengeance against the order, he declared that, cost
what it might, Malta should be destroyed. Accordingly the Algerine
fleet of corsairs, under Dragut, was speedily summoned to join his
forces and prepare for the contest. His design was no secret; and La
Valette employed the interval in assembling troops and provisions,
and assigning to each of his followers their posts and duties in
the coming siege. Like his predecessors D’Aubusson and L’Isle Adam,
he had nothing but the valour of the order on which to depend. The
Pope contributed a sum of 10,000 crowns; but allies he had none,
save the brave viceroy of Sicily, Garcias de Toledo, who visited
him personally in the month of April, and promised to be back with
succours before the end of June: France was distracted with Huguenot
wars; Germany had enough to do to preserve her own frontiers;
England, under Elizabeth, was ready to help the Turk himself against
the Church; and Spain alone showed any disposition to assist the
knights, though as yet the caution and deliberation of Philip II. had
come to no decision on the subject.
La Valette, however, was equal to a great emergency; he had
filled every office in the order, and thoroughly understood his
position—nay, it seemed the peculiar destiny of his order to be the
forlorn-hope of Europe, and to enter the arena with the infidels
under circumstances which gave its combatants the valour of desperate
men. Seven hundred knights, besides serving-brothers[41] and 8500
paid soldiers, formed his army of defence. Among these we find
but _one_ Englishman, to represent a nation formerly the foremost
in the list; yet, sad as is the contrast, it is pleasant to record
his name—he was Sir Oliver Starkey. Possibly there might have been
others; but their names have escaped the record of the historian;
and, considering the times, it may be matter of surprise that even
one could yet be found.
Before entering on the story of the last great siege sustained by
the order of St. John, it may be well to offer some description of
the city and its defences, which will better enable the reader to
understand the position of the contending parties.
A narrow tongue of land, running out into the sea on the north-east
coast of Malta, separated two large and commodious ports: the Great
Harbour, now Port Valetta, to the east; and Port Musiette to the
west. As yet it was not built upon; except that Strozzi, prior of
Capua, had raised at its extremity a strong castle, which bore the
name of Fort St. Elmo. This fortress commanded both harbours, but
was itself liable to be cut off from communication with the mainland
in time of siege. Within the larger port were two promontories: the
outermost of which was occupied by the little town, or borgo, and was
defended by the castle of St. Angelo; the innermost was called La
Sangle, after the grand master who first fortified it, and had also
at its extremity a fort named St. Michael, round which a straggling
population had gathered. Between these two promontories the galleys
were moored; and the mouth of the port was closed by an iron chain.
In distributing the various posts of defence the same order was
observed as at Rhodes. Each language had its own place assigned
to it. To France was given the charge of the borgo; to Italy the
promontory of La Sangle; while fifty Spanish knights held the castle
of St. Angelo; and sixty more, under Deguarras, bailiff of Negropont,
were sent to reinforce the garrison of St. Elmo, commanded by an aged
knight named De Broglio. From the borgo to St. Angelo were to be
drawn up the knights of Arragon and Navarre, and on the other side
those of Castile, Provence, and Germany; while the platform at the
foot of the castle was guarded by a Spanish knight, with some of
the crews of the galleys, whose business was to work nine pieces of
ordnance, and to defend the mouth of the port and the great chain—a
very marvellous production, so thick that nothing had ever been seen
to equal its enormous dimensions, and fastened by the anchor that had
belonged to the great carrack of the order.
When La Valette had formed these dispositions of his forces, he
caused the same scene to be enacted which had formerly been displayed
at Rhodes—a general review of all the troops, each before his own
inn; their arms and numbers were examined, and their skill tested
by shooting at a mark. His own appearance among them, as he passed
from line to line, was received with shouts of enthusiasm; and truly
his bearing was one well calculated to rouse the ardour of his
followers. He had that same air of tranquil serene intrepidity which
distinguished L’Isle Adam, and which bore with it the assurance of
success, because it breathed a higher trust than mere confidence in
human skill or valour. His eye was perhaps a little stern; but if
so, you forgot its sternness as you gazed at that sweet and placid
mouth, whose delicate lines declared the presence of a refined and
cultivated mind, and the tenderness which at times accords so well
with a brave and dauntless spirit. Every heart beat with a noble
pride as the grand master approached the assembled troops, and
checking his horse, addressed them in the following terms: “Comrades,
a cloud of barbarians is about to burst upon our coast; they are
the enemies of Jesus; and in the coming contest it is to be decided
whether the Gospel or the Koran shall triumph. At such a moment God
calls on us for those lives which we have devoted to His service.
Happy they who shall first offer Him this sacrifice! But, to render
ourselves worthy of such a grace, let us renew our vows at the foot
of His altar; and seek in the Blood of Christ, poured out to us in
His sacraments, that true indifference to death which will render our
arms invincible.”
As he closed his address he moved towards the great church of St.
John’s, where the Blessed Sacrament was exposed for adoration, and
whither he was followed by all the knights. Every one confessed, and
approached the holy table; “there was not an unshriven man among
them. The remainder of the day was spent, as became men preparing for
death, in reconciling differences and taking a brotherly farewell;
and before nightfall every one was at his post.”